North Korea Executes 30 Officials Over Flood Response Failures

North Korea reportedly executed 30 officials last month for their alleged failure to address the catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of over 4,000 people.

According to South Korean outlet TV Chosun, the officials were accused of corruption and dereliction of duty. The devastating flooding, which struck Chagang province in July, displaced more than 15,000 people.

North Korean news reports indicated that the floods caused extensive damage in the northwestern city of Sinuiju and neighboring Uiju, affecting over 4,100 homes, 7,410 acres of farmland, as well as numerous roads, buildings, and railway lines. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the authorities to “strictly punish” the officials deemed responsible, the North Korean Central News Agency reported.

An unnamed official within the Kim regime told TV Chosun that 20 to 30 cadres from the flood-stricken area were executed late last month. Following the disaster, Kim declared that North Korea would reject any international aid, as reported by the Associated Press.

Instead, he directed officials to relocate thousands of displaced residents to the capital, Pyongyang, where they would receive better care and support. The rebuilding efforts were projected to take two to three months, during which the government planned to provide for nearly 15,400 vulnerable individuals in facilities within Pyongyang.

North Korea has a history of public executions, with an average of 10 occurring annually before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Korea Times, a South Korean media outlet. The number has since increased to an estimated 100 or more, the outlet claimed.